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Book, 

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CORfRICHT DEPOSm 



THE STORY 



OF 



HIAWATHA 



ILLUSTRATIONS BY ROBERT SMITH 

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ABRIDGED FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS 







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EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING 


COMPANY 






BOSTON 






New 


York 


Chicago 


San I 


RANCISCO 



THE LIBRARY OF 


CONGRESS, 


x»vo Copies Received 


JliN. 6 1902 


jvCOPyRIOHT ENTRY 


kw.i^'/«'^<r 


CJ^.Afff x^ No. 


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COPY B, 



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CoPYRIGHTEr 

By educational PUBLISHING COMPANY 
1898 



• • • * « I 



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THE STORY OF HIAWATHA. 



Many years ago,* when the white 
man first came here, there lived in 
America a people very different from 



us, 



They did not live in houses as we 



do 



Their homes, summer and winter, 



6 The Story of Hiawatha. 

were tents, called wigwams, made from 
the bark of the birch tree, or from the 
skins of animals. 

The white men, when they first saw 
these people, called them Indians or 
Red-men. 

These Red-men lived by hunting or 
fishing. Their homes were in the deep 
forests, or by the shores of the many 
lakes. 

When the white man came, cutting 
down the trees, clearing the land and 
building houses, the Red-men moved 
further and further away into the 
wilderness. 

The white men's ways were not their 



The Story of Hiawatha. 7 

ways. The Red-man loved to see the 
trees growing. 

He obtained his food and clothing 
from the animals that lived in their 
shade. From their wood he made his 
bows and arrows, cooked the food he 
ate, and at night often made a bed of 
their sweet boughs. 

l^rom their bark he made a shelter 
for his wife and children in the wmter, 
and from their trunks a boat to fish 
with in the summer. 

But the white man needed the trees 
to build his houses, the land to grow 
his corn, and the streams to run his 
mills. 




8 The Story of Hiawatha, 

Having such 
different ways they 
could never get 
along together, nor 
did they under- 
stand each other. 
But to-day we 
are learning that these strange people 
knew much about the trees, the flowers 
and the birds that the white man ought 
to know. 

In the poem of Hiawatha, the poet 
Longfellow tells us of this out-door 
life of the Red-men and the beautiful 
story of one of their chiefs, the noble 
Hiawatha. 



The Story of Hiawatha. 




/i^' 'M-^^ 



As a child Hiawatha was a pretty 
Httle baby; just as pretty as your Httle 
baby brother or sister. 

Hiawatha's mother, the gentle We- 
no-nah, died when he was only a few 
days old. 

So his kind old grandmother, No- 
ko-mis, the daughter of the moon, took 
the little baby to her own wigwam on 
the shores of the great lake. 



The Story of Hiawatha. 1 1 

OY the shining Big-Sea-Water. 
Stood the wigwam of No-ko-mis. 
Dark behind it rose the forest, 
Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees, 
Rose the firs with cones upon them; 
Bright before it beat the water. 
Beat the clear and sunny water, 
Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water." 

Here his grandma made the moth- 
erless little baby a pretty cradle from 
the branches of the linden tree. She 
lined it with soft moss and sweet grass. 

On summer days, when the winds 
were warm, she hung the cradle on the 
low branches of the pine-trees. 



12 The Story of Hiawatha. 

The soft wind rocked it gently, and 
the baby fell asleep to the music of the 
pines. 




"There the wrinkled, old No-ko-mis 
Nursed the little Hiawatha, 
Rocked him in his linden cradle, 
Bedded soft in moss and rushes, 
Safely bound with reindeer sinews." 



The Story of Hiawatha. 



13 



-•5- '** 



X 



X 



^ 



As little Hiawatha grew 
older, No-ko-mis taught him 
many things. \y| 

She told him stories of the ll'l 
birds, the animals, and the fishes; 
all that lived in the forest and in the 
Big-Sea- Water. 

And when he was able to run about 
and play, the birds and squirrels were 
his playmates. 

He was so kind to them that they 
were not at all afraid of him. 



14 



The Story of Hiawatha, 








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On summer evenings little Hiawatha 
was very fond of sitting at the door of 
his grandma's tent, hstening to the 
winds and the water. 

As the poet tells us: — - 

"At the door on summer evenings 

Sat the little Hiawatha; 

Heard the v/hispering of the pine-trees, 



The Story of Hiawatha. 1 5 

Heard the lapping of the water, 
Sounds of music, words of wonder; 




"Saw the fire-fly, Wah-wah-taysee, 
FHtting through the dusk of evening. 
With the twinkle of its candle 
Lighting up the brakes and bushes. 
And he sang the song of children, 
Sa^g the song No-ko-mis taught him: 
'Wah-wah-taysee, little fire-fly. 
Little, flitting, white-fire insect. 
Little, dancing, white-fire creature, 
Light me with your little candle. 
Ere upon my bed I lay me. 
Ere in sleep I close my eye-lids ! ' 



i6 



The Story of Hiawatha. 




" Saw the moon rise from the water, 
RippHng, rounding from the water, 
Saw the flecks and shadows on it, 
Whispered, 'What is that, No-ko-mis?' 
And the good No-ko-mis answered: 
' Once a warrior, very angry. 
Seized his grandmother, and threw her 
Up into the sky at midnight; 
Right against the moon he threw her; 
'Tis her body that you see there.' 



The Story of Hiawatha. 17 




**Saw the rainbow in the heaven, 
In the eastern sky, the rainbow, 
Whispered, 'What is that, No-ko-mis?' 
And the good No-ko-mis answered: 
*'Tis the heaven of flowers you see 

there; 
All the wild-flowers of the forest, 
All the lilies of the prairie. 
When on earth they fade and perish, 
Blossom in that heaven above us.' 



i8 



The Story of Hiawatha. 




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"When he heard the owls at midnight, 
Hooting, laughing in the forest, 
'What is that?' he cried in terror; 
'What is that?' he said, 'No-ko-mis?' 
And the good No-ko-mis answered : 
'That is but the owl and owlet. 
Talking in their native language. 
Talking, scolding at each other.' " 




i 



The Story of Hiawatha. 



19 




Then the Httle Hiawatha 
" Learned of every bird its language, 
Learned their names and all their 

secrets, 
How they built their nests in Summer, 
Where they hid themselves in Winter, 
Talked with them whene'er he met 

them. 
Called them 'Hiawatha's Chickens.' 



20 The Story of Hiawatha. 




d 

"Of all the beasts he learned the lan- 
guage, 
Learned their names and all their 

secrets, 
How the beavers built their lodges. 
Where the squirrels hid their acorns. 
How the reindeer ran so swiftly. 
Why the rabbit was so timid. 
Talked with them whene'er he met 

them, 
Called them 'Hiawatha's Brothers.'" 



The Story of Hiawatha. 21 

Thus, among the fields and forests, 
Hiawatha grew to be a big boy. 

One day, while he was sitting in the 
wigwam, an old man, named la-goo, 
came to see No-ko-mis. 

This la-goo was a great traveller and 
had long been a friend of No-ko-mis. 

Seeing that Hiawatha was now a big 
boy, la-goo said that he ought to have 
a bow and arrows, and learn to shoot. 

So, taking Hiawatha with him into 
the forest, la-goo showed him how to 
make a bow for himself. 





lAGOO. 



The Story of Hiawatha. 23 

" From a branch of ash he made it, 
From an oak-bough made the arrows, 
Tipped with flint, and winged with 

feathers, 
And the cord was made of deer-skin^" 



"Then he said to Hiawatha: 
'Go, my son, into the forest. 
Where the red deer herd together, 
Kill for us a deer with antlers ! ' " 



" Forth into the forest straightway 
All alone walked Hiawatha 
Proudly, with his bow and arrows; 
And the birds sang round him, o'er him, 
'Do not shoot us, Hiawatha!' 



24 The Story of Hiawatha. 




"Up the oak-tree, close beside him, 
Sprang the squirrel, 
In and out among the branches, 
Coughed and chattered from the oak 

tree. 
Laughed, and said between his laugh- 

*Do not shoot me, Hiawatha!* 
And the rabbit from his pathway 
Leaped aside, and at a distance 
Sat erect upon his haunches. 
Half in fear and half in frolic, 
Saying to the little hunter, 
'Do not shoot me, Hiawatha!' 



The Story of Hiawatha. 25 

But he heeded not, nor heard them, 
For his thoughts were with the red 
deer." 




# ?• 



Soon his sharp eyes saw a red deer. 
He knelt down on one knee and took 
aim. It was a good shot, the deer fell, 
and proudly Hiawatha carried it home. 

Every one praised him for his suc- 
cess, and he was very proud and happy. 

Then No-ko-mis took the skin off 
the deer, and carefully dried it. It 
would make a good winter cloak for 
little Hiawatha. 



26 The Story of Hiawatha. 

The meat No-ko-mis cut up and 
cooked, and invited all their friends to 
come and make a feast. 

No-ko-mis was as pleased when 
Hiawatha caught a very large fish, or 
killed a deer, as your mother is when 
you have good lessons at school. 

And Hiawatha's lessons were often 
hard to learn. He had to learn to 
shoot, to swim, to climb, to fish, to 
hunt. He must learn the meaning of 
every sign and of every sound in the 
water or in the woods. 

Thus our little Indian baby grew to 
be a big, strong boy, and at last a 
young man. 



The Story of Hiawatha. 27 

"Out of childhood into manhood 
Now had grown my Hiawatha, 
Skilled in all the craft of hunters, 
Learned in all the lore of old men. 
In all youthful sports and pastimes, 
In all manly arts and labors. 

"Swift of foot was Hiawatha; 
He could shoot an arrow from him, 
And run forward with such fleetness. 
That the arrow fell behind him! 
Strong of arm was Hiawatha; 
He could shoot ten arrows upward, 
Shoot them with such strength and 

swiftness. 
That the tenth had left the bow-string 
Ere the first to earth had fallen!" 



28 The Story of Hiawatha. 

Now that Hiawatha had grown to 
be a man, he wished very much to 
visit the land of his birth in the far, 
far west, to see the Great Rocky Moun- 
tains, the home of the West Wind. 

No-ko-mis often warned him of the 
dangers on the road, of the dark forests 
and lonely prairies. 

"But the fearless Hiawatha 
Heeded not her woman's warning, 

A^t. ^'4 l^•4 A^tm •^'4 

V|^ Vi^ ^iJ" VjC 74^ 

From his lodge went Hiawatha, 
Dressed for travel, armed for hunting; 
Dressed in deer-skin shirt and leggings; 
Richly wrought with quills and wam- 
pum, 




The Story of Hiawatha. 29 

"On his head his 
eagle feathers, 
Round his waist 
his belt of wam- 
pum, 
In his hand his 
bow of ash- 
wood, 

Strung with sinews of the reindeer; 
In his quiver oaken arrows, 
Tipped with jasper, winged with 
feathers ; 
"So he journeyed westward, west- 
ward. 
Crossed the mighty Mississippi, 
Passed the Mountains of the Prairie, 
Passed the land of Crows and Foxes 



30 The Story of Hiawatha. 

Passed the dwellings of the Blackfeet, 
Came unto the Rocky Mountains 
To the kingdom of the West- Wind." 

Here Hiawatha spent many days, 
learning many things and thinking 
much. 

At last it seemed to him that the 
Spirit of the Mountains spoke to him, 
saying, — 

"Go back to your home and people. 
Live among them, toil among them, 
Cleanse the earth from all that harms it. 
Clear the fishing grounds and rivers " 

So Hiawatha turned his footsteps 
homeward. 



^^MlBMMMilrii 



The Story of Hiawatha. 31 




"Only once his pace he slackened, 
Only once he paused and halted, 
Paused to purchase heads of arrows 
Of the ancient Arrow-maker, 
In the land of the Dacotahs, 
Where the Falls of Minnehaha 
Flash and gleam among the oak-trees, 
Laugh and leap into the valley. 

"There the ancient Arrow-maker 
Made his arrow-heads of sandstone. 
Arrow-heads of flint and jasper, 
Smoothed and sharpened at the edges. 
Hard and polished, keen and costly. 



32 



The Story of Hiawatha, 














( i-y^l>^4 



"With him dwelt his dark-eyed 
daughter, 
Wayward as the Minnehaha, 
With her moods of shade and sun- 
shine. 
Tresses flowing hke the water. 
And as musical a laughter; 
And he named her from the river. 
From the water-fall he named her, 
Minnehaha, Laughing Water. 

"Was it then for heads of arrows, 

r 

That my Hiawatha halted 
In the land of the Dacotahs? 



The Story of Hiawatha. 33 

"Was it not to see the maiden, 
See the face of Laughing Water, 
Peeping from behind the curtain, 
Hear the rustHng of her garments 
From behind the waving curtain, 
As one sees the Minnehaha 
Gleaming, glancing through the 

branches. 
As one hears the Laughing Water 
From behind its screen of branches?" 




34 



The Story oj Hiawatha. 




THE GIFT OF CORN. 

When Hiawatha reached home, he 
told No-ko-mis of his visit to the Great 
Mountains, and what the Spirit of 
the Mountains had said to him. 

He wanted to start at once to help 
his people. But he did not know how 
to begin. So he went all alone into 
the deep forest, to spend seven days 
and nights in fasting and prayer to the 
Great Spirit. 



The Story of Hiawatha. 35 

" On the fourth day of his fasting 
He saw a youth approaching, 
Dressed in garments green and yellow, 
Coming through the purple twilight. 
Through the splendor of the sunset; 
Plumes of green bent o'er his forehead. 
And his hair was soft and golden. 

T/ said the young man, 'am Mon- 

da-min, the friend of man, 
Come to warn you and instruct you, 
How by struggle and by labor 
You shall gain what you have prayed 

for. 
Rise up from your bed of branches. 
Rise, O youth, and wrestle with me!'" 



36 The Story of Hiawatha. 

Four times they wrestled. At last 
Mon-da-min cried " You have wrestled 
bravely, and the Master of Life, who 
sees us, will give to you the triumph!" 




VVhen I am dead, — 
"'Make a bed for me to lie in, 
Where the rain may fall upon me. 
Where the sun may come and warm 

me; 
Strip these garments, green and yellow, 
Strip this nodding plumage from me. 
Lay me in the earth, and make it 
Soft and loose and light above me.' 



The Story of Hiawatha. 37 

" ' Let no hand disturb my slumber, 
Let no weed nor worm molest me, 
Only come yourself to watch me, 
Till I wake, and start, and quicken. 
Till I leap into the sunshine.'" 

It happened as he had said. 
Mon-da-min fell to the ground, breath- 
less, lifeless; his green robes all torn. 

And Hiawatha^ 



" Made the grave as he commanded. 
Stripped the garments from Mon- 
da-min, 
Stripped his tattered plumage from him, 
Laid him in the earth and made it 
Soft and loose and light above him." 



38 Tlie Story of Hiawatha. 

All winter, till the spring and the 
sunshine came again, Hiawatha 
watched the grave of Alon-da-min. 

"Till at length a small green feather 
From the earth shot slowly upward, 
Then another and another, 
And before the summer ended 
Stood the maize in all its beauty, 
With its shining robes about it, 
And its long, soft, yellow tresses; 
And in gladness Hiawatha 
Cried aloud, Tt is Mon-da-min! 
Yes, the friend of man, Alon-da-min !'" 



J»4 Ji'^ ^'4 ^'4 

7|C ^1^ "Ck^ ^l*" 

'And still later, when the Autumn 



The Story of Hiawatha. 39 

Changed the long green leaves to yellow, 
And the soft and juicy kernels 

Grew like wampum hard and yellow, 

Then the ripened ears he gathered, 

Stripped the withered husks from off 

them. 

As he once had stripped the wrestler, 

Gave the first feast of Mon-da-min, 

And made known unto the people 

This new gift of the Great Spirit." 



/. 




40 



The Story of Hiawatha. 




HIAWATHA'S CANOE. 

You remember that Hiawatha's 
wigwam was near the great lake, 
called the Big-Sea- Water. 

In this lake there was a huge fish, so 
great that it frightened all the Indians 
when they went fishing. 

They called it Nah-ma, and thought 
there must be an evil spirit in it. 

Remembering what the Spirit of 



The Story of Hiawatha. 41 

the Mountains had told him, "to clear 
the fishing grounds and rivers," 
Hiawatha made up his mind to catch 
that great fish. But first he must make 
for himself a strong canoe or boat. 

So Hiawatha went into the forest to 
ask the help of his friends, the trees. 

To the Birch tree he said: — 



'"Give me of your bark, O Birch-Tree! 
Of your yellow bark, O Birch-Tree! 
Growing by the rushing river. 
Tall and stately in the valley ! 
I a light canoe will build me. 
That shall float upon the river, 
Like a yellow leaf in Autumn, 
Like a yellow water-lily! 



42 The Story of Hiawatha. 

'Lay aside your cloak, O Birch-Tree! 
Lay aside your white-skin wrapper, 
For the Summer-time is coming. 
And the sun is warm in heaven, 
And you need no white-skin wrapper! 




\i 



'/^"^ vW/'V^V/ "^^^^^^ 



"And the tree with all its branches 
Rustled in the breeze of morning. 
Saying, with a sigh of patience, 
'Take my cloak, O Hiawatha!'" 



The Story of Hiawatha. 



43 







Then he turned to the cedar: — 
'"Give me of your boughs, O Cedar! 
Of your strong and phant branches, 
My canoe to make more steady, 
Make more strong and firm beneath 

me!' 
Through the summit of the Cedar 
Went a sound, a cry of horror. 
But it whispered, bending downward, 
'Take my boughs, O Hiawatha!'" 



44 The Story of Hiawatha. 

"Thus the Birch Canoe was builded 
In the valley by the river, 
In the bosom of the forest; 
And the forest's Hfe was in it, 
All its mystery and its magic, 
All the lightness of the birch-tree. 
All the toughness of the cedar. 
All the larch's supple sinews; 
And it floated on the river 
Like a yellow leaf in Autumn, 
Like a yellow water-lily." 




The Story of Hiawatha. 45 

How proud Hiawatha was of his 
beautiful birch canoe! 

Far out on the shining Big-Sea- 
Water all alone sailed Hiawatha. 



"Through the clear, transparent water 

He could see the fishes swimming 

Far. down in the depths below him ; 

See the yellow perch, 

Like a sunbeam in the water. 

See the craw-fish, 

Like a spider on the bottom." 




46 



The Story of Hiawatha. 




"At the stern sat Hiawatha, 
With his fishing-Une of cedar; 
In his plumes the breeze of morning 
Played as in the hemlock branches." 

Hiawatha had now made up his 
mind to conquer that great fish. 

He tried many, many times. At last, 
after a great struggle, he succeeded. 

He had caught Nah-ma, the King- 
of-Fishes. 



Tlie Story of Hiawatha. 47 

Eagerly he drew the huge monster 
to shore. 

All the tribe came to see it. 

"Three whole days and nights 
Old No-ko-mis and the sea-gulls 
Stripped the oily flesh of Nah-ma, 
Till the waves washed through the rib- 
bones, 
Till the sea-gulls came no longer, 
And upon the sands lay nothing 
But the skeleton of Nah-ma." 



.^^4 




48 



The Story of Hiawatha, 




MINNEHAHA. 

But all this time Hiawatha had not 
forgotten Laughing Water. 

Often the young man sat at even- 
ing dreaming of the beautiful maiden 
he had seen on his journey westward, 



The Story of Hiawatha. 49 

Minnehaha, the lovely Laughing 
Water. 

No-ko-mis, who suspected the cause 
of his silence, never failed to urge him 
to wed a maiden of his people, saying: 

*'Go not eastward, go not westward, 
For a stranger, whom we know not! 
Like a fire upon the hearth-stone 
Is a neighbor's homely daughter. 
Like the starlight or the moonlight 
Is the handsomest of strangers!" 

But Hiawatha answered, — 

"'Dear old No-ko-mis, 
Very pleasant is the firelight. 
But I like the starlight better, 
Better do I like the moonlight!' 




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The Story of Hiawatha. 5 i 

" Gravely then said old No-ko-mis : 

'Bring not here an idle maiden, 
Bring not here a useless woman, ^ 
Hands unskilful, feet unwilling; 
Bring a wife with nimble fingers. 
Heart and hand that move together, 
Feet that run on willing errands !' 

"Smiling answered Hiawatha: 

'In the land of the Dacotahs 
Lives the Arrow-maker s daughter, 
Minnehaha, Laughing Water, 
Handsomest of all the women. 
I will bring her to your wigwam. 
She shall run upon your errands. 
Be your starlight, moonlight, firelight, 
Be the sunlight of my people ! ' " 



52 



The Story of Hiawatha, 




So Hiawatha prepared himself for 
the long journey. 

Many days and nights he had to 
travel, through dark forests, over lonely 
prairies and across rushing rivers. 



The Story of Hiawatha. 53 

Just before he 
reached the Arrow- 
maker's wigwam, 
Hiawatha saw 
some deer feeding. 
Knowing that, 
according to Indian 
custom, he ought 

to carry a present to his future 

bride, — 




"To his bow he whispered, 'Fail not!' 

To his arrow whispered, 'Swerve not!' 
Sent it singing on its errand. 
To the red heart of the roebuck; 
Threw the deer across his shoulder. 
And sped forward without pausing. 



54 



The Story of Hiawatha. 







"At the doorway of his wigwam 
Sat the ancient Arrow-maker, 
In the land of the Dacotahs, 
Making arrow-heads of jasper. 
At his side, in all her beauty, 
Sat the lovely Minnehaha, 
Sat his daughter, Laughing Water, 
Plaiting mats of flags and rushes; 
Of the past the old man's thoughts 

were, 
And the maiden's of the future." 



The Story of Hiawatha. 55 

"She was thinking of a hunter, 
From another tribe and countr)-, 
Young and tall and very handsome, 
Who one morning, in the Spring-time, 
Came to buy her father's arrows, 
Sat and rested in the wigwam, 
Lingered long about the doorway, 
Looking back as he departed. 
Would he come again for arrows 
To the Falls of Minnehaha? 
On the mat her hands lay idle, 
And her eyes were very dreamy. 




56 The Story of Hiawatha. 

"Through their thoughts they heard 
a footstep, 
Heard a rusthng in the branches, 
And with glowing cheek and forehead. 
With the deer upon his shoulders. 
Suddenly from out the woodlands, 
Hiawatha stood before them. 

"Straight the ancient Arrow-maker 
Looked up gravely from his labor. 
Laid aside the unfinished arrow, 
Bade him enter at the doorway, 




77/1? Story of Hiawatha. 57 

Saying as he rose to meet him, 
'Hiawatha, you are welcome!' 

"At the feet of Laughing Water 
Hiawatha laid his burden, 
Threw the red deer from his shoul- 
ders ; 



////-? /»>^ 




And the maiden looked up at him, 
Looked up from her mat of rushes. 
Said with gentle look and accent, 
'You are welcome, Hiawatha!' 



S8 



The Story of Hiawatha. 




"Then uprose fair Minnehaha, 
Laid aside her mat unfinished, 
Brought forth food and set before 

them. 
Water brought them from the brook- 
let, 
Gave them food in earthern vessels, 
Gave them drink in bowls of bass- 
wood. 
Listened while the guest was speaking, 



The Story of Hiawatha. 59 

Listened while her father answered. 
Yes, as in a dream she Ustened 
To the words of Hiawatha. 




" ' After many years of warfare, 
Many years of strife and bloodshed, 
There is peace between the Ojibways 
And the tribe of the Dacotahs. 
That this peace may last forever. 
And our hands be clasped more 

closely. 
And our hearts be more united, 
Give me as my wife this maiden, 
Minnehaha, Laughing Water, 
Loveliest of Dacotah women ! ' 



6o The Story of Hiawatha. 

"And the ancient Arrow-maker 
Looked at Hiawatha proudly, 
Fondly looked at Laughing Water, 
And made answer very gravely : 
'Yes, if Minnehaha wishes; 
Let your heart speak, Minnehaha!' 
"And the lovely Laughing Water 
Seemed more lovely as she stood 

there, 
Ne.ther willing nor reluctant, 
As she went to Hiawatha, 
Softly took the seat beside him. 
While she said, and blushed to say it, 
'I will follow you, my husband!' 

"This was Hiawatha's wooing! 
Thus it was he won the daughter 



The Story of Hiawatha. 6i 

Of the ancient Arrow-maker, 
In the land of the Dacotahs! 

"From the wigwam he departed, 
Leading with him Laughing Water; 
Hand in hand they went together, 
Through the woodland and the 

meadow, 
Left the old man standing lonely 
At the doorway of his wigwam. 
Heard the Falls of Minnehaha 
Calling to them from the distance, 
Crying to them from afar off, 
'Fare thee well, O Minnehaha!' 

" Pleasant was the journey homeward. 
Over meadow, over mountain. 
Over river, hill, and hollow. 



62 



The Story of Hiawatha, 







:= --^;.D:^ c^.- ;.o>-^ 



''Short it seemed to Hiawatha, 
Though they journeyed very slowly, 
Though his pace he checked and 

slackened 
To the steps of Laughing Water ; 
Cleared the tangled pathway for her, 
Bent aside the swaying branches, 



The Story of Hiawatha. . 63 

Made at night a lodge of branches, 

And a bed with boughs of hemlock, 

And a fire before the doorway 

With the dry cones of the pine-tree. 

" All the traveling winds went with 
them, 

O'er the meadow, through the forest. 

"Pleasant was the journey home- 
ward! 
All the birds sang loud and sweetly 

Songs of happiness and heart's ease; 

Sang the bluebird, the O-wais-sa, 

'Happy are you, Hiawatha, 

Having such a wife to love you!' 

Sang the O-pe-chee, the Robin, 

* Happy are you, Laughing Water, 

Having such a noble husband!' 



64 Tlie Story of Hiawatha. 

"Thus it was they journeyed home 
ward ; 
Thus it was that Hiawatha 
To the lodge of old No-ko-mis 
Brought the moonlight, starlight, fire- 
light. 
Brought the sunshine of his people, 
Minnehaha, Laughing Water, 
Handsomest of all the women 
In the land of the Dacotahs, 
In the land of handsome women." 




The Story of Hiawatha, 



65 




^(^ 



r^o 



'j^4m^ 4 




AT HOME. 

No-ko-mis welcomed the strange 
maiden and gave a feast In her honor 

All now was happiness in the lodge 
by the Big-Sea-Water. 

No-ko-mis had two children to love 
and wait upon her. 

Peace and plenty seemed to bless 
the land. 



66 



The Story of Hiawatha. 




"There was peace among the nations; 
Unmolested roved the hunters, 
Built the birch canoe for sailing, 
Gaught the fish in lake and river. 
Shot the deer and trapped the beaver." 







The Story of Hiawatha. 



67 






% 







v-^^-^^ ^ 



X 




\Ytvjv^ 



And the women: — 

" Made their sugar from the, maple, 
Gathered wild rice in the meadows, 
Dressed the skins of deer and beaver. 
All around the happy village 
Stood the maize-fields, green and shin- 
ing, 
Filling all the land with plenty. 



68 The Story of Hiawatha. 

"'Twas the women who in Spring- 
time 
Planted the broad fields and fruitful, 
Buried in the earth Mon-da-min. 

"And the maize-field grew and 
ripened, 
Till it stood in all the splendor 
Of its garments green and yellow, 
Of its tassels and its plumage, 
And the maize-ears full and shining 
Gleamed from bursting sheaths of 
verdure. 
"Then No-ko-mis, the old woman. 
Spake, and said to Minnehaha: 
''Tis the Moon when leaves are fall- 
ing; 



The Story of Hiawatha, 



69 




All the wild rice has been gathered, 
And the maize is ripe and ready ; 
Let us gather in the harvest, 
Let us wresde with Mon-da-min, 
Strip him of his plumes and tassels, 
Of his garments green and yellow!' 



70 



The Story of Hiawatha, 




"And the merry Laughing Water 
Went rejoicing from the wigwam, 
With No-ko-mis, old and wrinkled, 
And they called the women round 

them, 
Called the young men and the maidens. 
To the harvest of the cornfields, 
To the husking of the maize ear. 



The Story of Hiawatha, 71 



t,^ aiU. . f~^.J. ^ I —V ..-■'^1',. 









"On the border of the forest, 
Underneath the fragrant pine-trees, 
Sat the old men and the warriors 
Smoking in the pleasant shadow. 
In uninterrupted silence 
Looked they at the gamesome labor 
Of the young men and the women ; 
Listened to their noisy talking, 
To their laughter and their singing, 
Heard them chattering like the magpies, 
Heard them laughing like the bluejays, 
Heard them singing like the robins." 



72 



The Story of Hiawatha. 




PICTURE-WRITING 



" Tn those days,' said Hiawatha, 
*Lo! how all things fade and perish! 
From the memory of the old men 
Fade away the great traditions. 
The achievments of the warriors, 
The adventures of the hunters. 

' Great men die and are forgotten, 



The Story of Hiawatha. 73 

Wise men speak; their words of wis- 
dom 
Perish in the ears that hear them, 

' On the graveposts of our fathers 
Are no signs, no figures painted; 
Who are in those graves we know not, 
Only know they are our fathers. 

' Face to face we speak together. 
But we cannot speak when absent. 
Cannot send our voices from us 
To the friends that dwell afar off; 
Cannot send a secret message, 
But the bearer learns our secret, 
May pervert it, may betray it. 
May reveal it unto others.' 



74 The Story of Hiawatha. 

"Thus said Hiawatha, walking 
In the soHtary forest, 
Pondering, musing in the forest, 
On the welfare of his people. 

" From his pouch he took his colors, 
Took his paints of different colors. 
On the smooth bark of a birch-tree 
Painted many shapes and figures, 
Wonderful and mystic figures, 
And each figure had a meaning. 
Each some word or thought suggested. 





'^'*m^>^,0>h 



The Story of Hiawatha, 



n 




''Sun and moon and stars he painted, 
Man and beast, and fish and reptile, 
Forests, mountains, lakes, and rivers. 

" For the earth he drew a straight 
line, 
For the sky a bow above it ; 
White the space between for daytime, 




7^ 



The Story of Hiawatha. 




Filled with little stars for night-time; 
On the left a point for sunrise, 
On the right a point for sunset, 
On the top a point for noontide. 
And for rain and cloudy weather 
Waving lines descending from it. 




The Story of Hiawatha. 



77 




" Footprints pointing towards a wig- 
wam 
Were a sign of invitation, 
Were a sign of guests assembling; 
Bloody hands with palms uplifted 
Were a symbol of destruction, 
Were a hostile sign and symbol." 






INDIAN SIGNALLING. 



The Story of Hiawatha. 79 

"All these things did Hiawatha 
Show unto his wondering people, 
And interpreted their meaning, 
And he said, ' Behold, your grave- 
posts 
Have no mark, no sign, nor symbol, 
Go and paint them all with figures; 
Each one with its household symbol; 
So that those who follow after 
May distinguish them and know them.' 

"And they painted on the graveposts 
Of the graves yet unforgotten. 
Each the symbol of his household ; 
Figures of the Bear and Reindeer, 
Of the Turtle, Crane, and Beaver, 
Each inverted as a token 



8o The Story of Hiawatha, 

That the owner was departed, 
That the chief who bore the symbol 
Lay beneath in dust and ashes. 







^^y^/r^WAw^^, 111////^. 






"And the Medicine men, the Medas, 
Painted upon bark and deer-skin 
Figures for the songs they chanted, 
For each song a separate symbol, 



The Story of Hiawatha. 



8i 




Figures mystical and awful, 
Figures strange and brightly colored; 
And each figure had its meaning, 
Each some magic song suggested. 

"Thus it was that Hiawatha, 
In his wisdom, taught the people 
All the mysteries of painting, 
All the art of Picture-Writing, 
On the smooth bark of the birch-tree, 
On the white skin of the reindeer, 
On the grave posts of the village." 



82 



The Story of Hiawatha. 




THE FAMINE. 

Many years of prosperity and happi- 
ness had now blessed the land, and 
no thought was given for the future. 

The women planted in the summer, 
and the men hunted in the winter. 
There always seemed plenty. 

But at last a dreadful, bitter winter 
set in. 

There had been a very small har- 
vest and, still worse, there was sick- 
ness "in nearly every lodge. A strange 



The Story of Hiawatha. 83 

burning fever had stricken down many. 
And now came dreadful snow storms 
and terrible cold weather. 




"Ever thicker, thicker, thicker 
Froze the ice on lake and river, 
Ever deeper, deeper, deeper 



84 The Story of Hiawatha. 

Fell the snow o'er all the landscape, 
Fell the covering snow, and drifted 
Through the forest, round the village. 

"Hardly from his buried wigwam 
Could the hunter force a passage; 
With his mittens and his snow shoes 
Vainly walked he through the forest. 
Sought for bird or beast and found 

none. 
Saw no track of deer or rabbit, 
In the snow beheld no footprints. 
In the ghastly, gleaming forest 
Fell, and could not rise from weaknes 
Perished there from cold and hunger. 

"Forth into the empty forest. 
Rushed the maddened Hiawatha; 



The Story of Hiawatha. 85 

Wrapped in furs and armed for hunt- 

With his mighty bow of ash-tree, 
With his quiver full of arrows, 
Into the vast and vacant forest 
On his snow-shoes strode he forward. 
'Give your children food, O father!' 
Cried he with his face uplifted, 
' Give us food, or we must perish ! 
Give me food for Minnehaha, 
For my dying Minnehaha!' 

" But there came no other answer 
Than the echo of his crying, 
'Minnehaha! Minnehaha!' 

"All day long roved Hiawatha 
In that melancholy forest, 



86 



The Story of Hiawatha. 




Through the shadow of whose thickets, 
In the pleasant days of Summer, 
Of that ne'er forgotten Summer, 
He had brought his young wife home- 
ward 
From the land of the Dacotahs ; 
When the birds sang in the thickets. 
And the air was full of fragrance, 
And the lovely Laughing Water 
Said with voice that did not tremble 
T will follow you, my husband!' 



The Story of Hiawatha. 87 

"In the wigwam with No-ko-mis, 
She was lying, the Beloved, 
She the dying Minnehaha. 
'Hark!' she said; 'I hear a rushing, 
Hear a roaring and a rushing, 
Hear the Falls of Minnehaha 
Calling to me from a distance!' 
'No, my child!' said old No-ko-mis, 
''Tis the night wind in the pine-trees!' 
'Look!' she said, 'I see my father 
Standing lonely at his doorway. 
Beckoning to me from his wigwam 
In the land of the Dacotahs!' 
'No, my child!' said old No-ko-mis, 
''Tis the smoke that waves and beckons!' 
'Ah!' said she, 'the eyes of Pau-guk 



88 The Story of Hiawatha. 

Glare upon me in the darkness, 
I can feel his icy fingers 
Clasping mine amid the darkness, 
Hiawatha! Hiawatha!' 

"And the desolate Hiawatha, 
Far away amid the forest, 
Heard that sudden cry of anguish. 
Heard the voice of Minnehaha 
Calling to him in the darkness, 
' H iawatha ! H iawatha ! ' 

" Over snow-fields waste and pathless 
Homeward hurried Hiawatha, 
Empty-handed, heavy-hearted, 
Heard No-ko-mis moaning, wailing; 
* Would that I had perished for you, 
Would that I were dead as you are!' 



The Story of Hiawatha. 89 

"And he rushed into the wigwam, 
Saw the old No-ko-mis slowly 
Rocking to and fro and moaning, 
Saw his lovely Minnehaha 
Lying dead and cold before him, 
And his bursting heart within him 
Uttered such a cry of anguish. 
That the forest moaned and shuddered, 
That the very stars in heaven 
Shook and trembled with his anguish." 




90 The Story of Hiawatha. 

"Then he sat down, still and speech- 
less, 
On the bed of Minnehaha, 
At the feet of Laughing Water, 
At those willing feet, that never 
More would lightly run to meet him, 
Never more would lightly follow. 

"With both hands his face he 
covered. 
Seven long days and nights he sat 
there. 

"Then they buried Minnehaha; 
In the snow a grave they made her, 
In the forest deep and darksome. 
Underneath the moanmg hemlocks ; 
Clothed her in her richest garments. 



The Story of Hiawatha. ' 91 

Wrapped her in her robes of ermine; 
Covered her with snow, Hke ermin 
Thus they buried Minnehaha. 

"And at night a fire was lighted, 
On her grave four times was kindled. 
For her soul upon its journey 
To the Islands of the Blessed. 
From his doorway Hiawatha 
Saw it burning in the forest, 
Lighting up the gloomy hemlocks; 
From his sleepless bed uprising. 
From the bed of Minnehaha, 
Stood and watched it at the doorway, 
That it might not be extinguished. 
Might not leave her in the darkness." 



92 The Story of Hiawatha. 

"'Farewell!' said he, 'Minnehaha! 
Farewell, O my Laughing Water! 
All my heart is buried with you. 
All my thoughts go onward with you 
Come not back again to labor. 
Come not back again to suffer. 
Where the Famine and the Fever 
Wear the heart and waste the body. 
Soon my task will be completed, 
Soon your footsteps I shall follow 
To the Islands of the Blessed, 
To the land of the Hereafter!'" 




The Story of Hiawatha. 



93 




SPRING. 

"In his lodge beside a river, 
Close beside a frozen river, 
Sat an old man, sad and lonely. 
White his hair was as a snow-drift; 
Dull and low his fire was burning. 
And the old man shook and trembled, 
In his tattered white-skin wrapper. 
Hearing nothing but the tempest 
As it roared along the forest, 



WWTT 




The Story of Hiawatha. 95 

Seeing nothing but the snow-storm, 
As it whirled and hissed and drifted. 

"All the coals were white with ashes, 
And the fire was slowly dying. 




As a young man, walking lightly. 

At the open doorway entered. 

Red with blood of youth his cheeks were. 



96 The Story of Hiawatha. 

Soft his eyes, as stars In Spring-time, 
Bound his forehead was with grasses, 
Bound and plumed with scented 

grasses : 
On his Hps a smile of beauty. 
Filling all the lodge with sunshine. 
In his hand a bunch of blossoms 
Filling all the lodge with sweetness. 
'"Ah, my son!' exclaimed the old 
man, 
'Happy are my eyes to see you. 
Sit here on the mat beside me, 
Sit here by the dying embers. 
Let us pass the night together. 
Tell me of your strange adventures. 
Of the lands where you have traveled; 



The Story of Hiawatha. 97 

I will tell you of my prowess, 
Of my many deeds of wonder.' 




" From his pouch he drew his peace- 
pipe, 
Very old and strangely fashioned; 
Made of red stone was the pipe head, 
And the stem a reed with feathers. 
Filled the pipe with bark of willow, 



98 



The Story of Hiawatha. 




Placed a burning coal upon it, 
Gave it to his guest, the stranger. 
And began to speak in this wise: 

'"When I blow my breath about me, 
When I breathe upon the landscape, 
Motionless are all the rivers. 
Hard as stone becomes the water!' 



The Story of Hiawatha. 



99 




44 



And the young man answered, smi 



ing 



'When I blow my breath about me, 
When I breathe upon the landscape. 
Flowers spring up o'er all the mead. 



ows, 



Singing, onward rush the rivers!' 



LofC. 



lOO The Story of Hiawatha. 

"'When I shake my hoary tresses,* 
Said the old man darkly frowning, 
'All the land with snow is covered; 
All the leaves from all the branches 
Fall and fade and die and wither, 
For I breathe, and lo ! they are not. 
From the waters and the marshes 
Rise the wild goose and the heron, 
Fly away to distant regions. 
For I speak, and lo ! they are not. 
And where'er my footsteps wander. 
All the wild beasts of the forest 
Hide themselves in holes and caverns, 
And the earth becomes as flint-stone!' 



The Story of Hiawatha. loi 




"'When I shake my flowing ringlets,' 
Said the young man softly laughing, 
'Showers of rain fall warm and welcome, 
Plants lift up their heads rejoicing. 
Back unto their lakes and marshes 
Come the wild goose and the heron. 
Homeward shoots the arrowy swallow. 
Sing the bluebird and the robin. 
And where'er my footsteps wander. 
All the meadows w^ave with blossoms, 
All the woodlands ring with music. 
All the trees are dark with foliage!' 



I02 



Tlie Story of Hiawatha. 




'"While they spake, the night 
departed : 
From his shining lodge of silver, 
Like a warrior robed and painted. 
Came the sun, and said, 'Behold me!' 
"Then the old man's tongue was 
speechless. 



The Story of Hiawatha, 103 

And the air grew warm and pleasant, 
And upon the wigwam sweetly 
Sang the bluebird and the robin, 
And the stream began to murmur. 
And a scent of growing grasses 
Through the lodge was gently wafted. 

"And Segwun, the youthful stranger. 
More distinctly in the daylight 
Saw the icy face before him; 
It was Pe-bo-an, the Winter! 

" From his eyes the tears were flowing 
As from melting lakes the streamlets, 
And his body shrunk and dwindled 
As the shouting sun ascended. 
Till into the air it faded, 
Till into the ground it vanished, 



I04 The Story of Hiawatha. 

And the young man saw before him, 
On the hearth-stone of the wigwam, 
Where the fire had smoked and 

smouldered 
Saw the earliest flower of Spring-time. 

"Thus it was that in the North-land 
After that unheard-of coldness, 
Came the Spring with all its splendor, 
All its birds and all its blossoms. 
All its flowers and leaves and grasses. 

"In the thickets and the meadows 
Piped the blue-bird, the O-wais-sa, 
On the summit of the lodges 
Sang the O-pe-chee, the robin, 
In the covert of the pine-trees 
Cooed the O-me-mee, the pigeon. 



The Story of Hiawatha. 



105 




And the sorrowing Hiawatha, 
Speechless in his infinite sorrow, 
Heard their voices caUing to him, 
Went forth from his gloomy doorway, 
Stood and gazed into the heaven. 
Gazed upon the earth and waters." 



THE WHITE MAN. 

" From his wanderings far to east 
ward, 
From the regions of the morning, 
Homeward now returned la-goo. 
The great traveler, the great boaster, 
Full of new and strange adventures, 
Marvels many and many wonders. 

"And the people of the village 
Listened to him as he told them 
Of his marvellous adventures. 
Laughing answered him in this wise : 
'Ugh! it is indeed la-goo! 

No one else beholds such wonders ! ' 

1 06 



The Story of Hiawatha. \oj 




"He had seen, he said, a water 
Bigger than the Big-Sea- Water, 
Bitter so that none could drink it! 
At each other looked the warriors, 
Looked the women at each other. 
Smiled, and said, 'It cannot be so! 
Kaw ! ' they said 'It cannot be so.' 

"O'er it, said he, o'er this water 
Came a great canoe with pinions, 
A canoe with wings came flying, - 
Bigger than a grove of pine trees. 
Taller than the tallest tree-tops! 



io8 The Story of Hiawatha. 

And the old men and the women 
Looked and tittered at each other ; 
*Kaw!' they said, 'we don't believe it! 




"In it, said he, came a people, 
In the great canoe with pinions 
Came, he said, a hundred warriors; 
Painted white were all their faces 
And with hair their chins were 
covered ! 



The Story of Hiawatha. 109 

And the warriors and the women 
Laughed and shouted in derision, 
Like the ravens on the tree-tops, 
Like the crows upon the hemlocks, 
'Kaw!' they said, 'what Ues you tell 

us! 
Do not think that we believe them ! ' 

"Only Hiawatha laughed not. 
But he gravely spake and answered 
To their jeering and their jesting: 
'True is all la-goo tells us; 
I have seen it in a vision. 
Seen the great canoe with pinions, 
Seen the people with white faces, 
Seen the coming of this bearded 
People of the wooden vessel 



no 



The Story of Hiawatha. 

From the regions of the morning, 
From the shining land of Wa-bun 




"The Great Spirit, the Creator, 
Sends them thither on his errand. 
Sends them to us with his message. 

'"Let us welcome then the strangers. 

Hail them as our friends and brothers. 

And the heart's right hand of friend- 
ship 



The Story of Hiawatha. 

Give them when they come to see us. 



Ill 








"^../^ 



iW 



'"I beheld, too, in that vision 
All the secrets of the future. 
Of the distant days that shall be. 
I beheld the westward marches 
Of the unknown crowded nations. 
All the land was full of people, 
Restless, struggling, toiling, striving, 
Speaking many tongues, yet feeling 
But one heart-beat in their bosoms. 



112 The Story of Hiawatha. 

In the woodlands rang their axes, 
Smoked their towns in all the valleys, 
Over all the lakes and rivers 
Rushed their great canoes of thunder. 

'"Then a darker, drearier vision 
Passed before me, vague and cloudlike; 
I beheld our nation scattered, 
All forgetful of my counsels, 
Weakened, warring with each other; 
Saw the remnants of our people 
Sweeping westward, wild and woful. 
Like the cloud-rack of a tempest. 
Like the withered leaves of Autumn!'" 



n.. 




HIAWATHA'S DEPARTURE. 

"By the shining Big-Sea-Water, 
At the door-way of his wigwam, 
In the pleasant Summer morning, 
Hiawatha stood and waited. 

"Bright above him shone th 
heavens. 
Level spread the lake before him; 



"3 



1 1 4 The Story of Hiawatha. 

From its bosom leaped the sturgeon, 
Sparkling, flashing in the sunshine; 
On its margin the great forest. 
Stood reflected in the water. 
Every tree-top had its shadow, 
Motionless beneath the water. 

" From the brow of Hiawatha 
Gone was every trace of sorrow. 
As the fog from off the water, 
As the mist from off the meadow. 

"Toward the sun his hands were 
lifted. 
Both the palms spread out against it. 
And between the parted fingers 
Fell the sunshine on his features, 
Flecked with light his naked shoulders. 



The Story of Hiawatha. 1 1 5 




"O'er the water floating, flying, 

Something in the hazy distance, 

Somethmo^ in the mists of mornine, 

Loomed and Hfted from the water, 

Now seemed floating, now seemed 
flying. 

Coming nearer, nearer, nearer. 

"Was it Shin-ge-bis, the diver; 

Was it the pehcan, the Sha-da; 

Or the heron, the Shuh-shuh-gah? 

Or the white goose, W^aw-be-wa-wa, 

With the water dripping, flashing. 

From its glossy neck and feathers? 



1 16 The Story of Hiawatha. 

"It was neither goose nor diver, 
Neither pehcan nor heron, 
O'er the water floating, flying, 




Through the shining mist of morning, 
But a birch canoe with paddles, 
Rising, sinking on the water. 
Dripping, flashing in the sunshine ; 
And within it came a people 



The Story of Hiawatha. 117 

From the distant land of Wa-bun, 
From the farthest realms of morninor 
Came the Black -Robe chief, the 

Prophet, 
He the Priest of Prayer, the Pale- 
Face, 
With his guides and his companions. 

"And the noble Hiawatha, 
With his hands aloft extended. 
Held aloft in sign of welcome. 
Waited full of exultation, 
Till the birch canoe with paddles 
Grated on the shining pebbles. 
Stranded on the sandy margin. 
Till the Black-Robe chief, the Pale- 
Face. 



1 1 8 - The Story of Hiawatha. 

With the cross upon his bosom, 
Landed on the sandy margin. 




"Then the joyous Hiawatha 
Cried aloud and spake in this wise; 
'Beautiful is the sun, O strangers, 
When you come so far to see us! 
All our town in peace awaits you, 
All our doors stand open for you ; 



The Story of Hiawatha. 1 1 9 

You shall enter all our wigwams, 

For the heart's right hand we give you.' 

'"Never bloomed the earth so gail)^ 
Never shone the sun so brightly. 
As to-day they shine and blossom 
When you come so far to see us! 
Never was our lake so tranquil, 
Nor so free from rocks and sand-bars; 
For your birch canoe in passing 
Has removed both rock and sand-bar.' 

'"Never before had our tobacco 
Such a sweet and pleasant flavor. 
Never the broad leaves of our cornfields 
Were so beautiful to look on, 
As they seem to us this morning, 
When you come so far to see us!' 



I20 The Story of Hiawatha. 

"And the Black-robe chief made 
answer, 
Stammered in his speech a httle, 
Speaking words yet unfamihar; 
'Peace be with you, Hiawatha, 
Peace be with you and your people!' 

"Then the generous Hiawatha 
Led the strangers to his wigwam, 
Seated them on skins of bison. 
Seated them on skins of ermine. 
And the careful, old No-ko-mis 
Brought them food in bowls of bass- 
wood. 
Water brought in birchen dippers. 
And the calumet, the peace-pipe. 
Filled and lighted for their smoking. 



The Story of Hiawatha, 



121 




r*^ i-> 



"All the old men of the village, 
All the warriors of the nation, 
And the Medicine-men, the Medas, 
Came to bid the strangers welcome ; 
'It is well,' they said, 'O brothers, 
That you come so far to see us ! 

"In a circle round the doorway. 
With their pipes they sat in silence, 
Waiting to behold the strangers, 
Waiting to receive their message; 



122 



The Story of Hiawatha. 




Till the Black-Robe chief, the Pale- 
Face, 

From the wigwam came to greet them; 

'It is well,' they said, 'O brother. 

That you come so far to see us!' 

"Then the Black- Robe chief, the 
prophet. 

Told his message to the people. 

Told the purport of his mission. 

"And the chiefs made answer, say- 
ing: 

'We have listened to your message. 



The Story of Hiawatha. 123 

We have heard your words of wisdom, 
We will think on what you tell us. 
It is well for us, O brothers. 
That you come so far to see us! ' 

"Then they rose up and departed, 
Kach one homeward to his wigwam, 
To the young men and the women 
Told the story of the strangers 
Whom the Master of Life had sent them 
From the shining land of Wa-bun. 




The Story of Hiawatha. 125 

" Heavy with the heat and silence 
Grew the afternoon of Summer; 
With a drowsy sound the forest 
Whispered round the sultry wigwam, 
With a sound of sleep the water 
Rippled on the beach below it; 
And the guests of Hiawatha, 
Weary with the heat of Summer, 
Slumbered in the sultry wigwam. 

"Slowly o'er the simmering landscape 
Fell the evening's dusk and coolness. 
And the long and level sunbeams 
Shot their spears into the forest, 
Searched each thicket, dingle, hollow; 
Still the guests of Hiawatha 
Slumbered in the silent wigwam. 



126 The Story of Hiawatha. 

" From his place rose Hiawatha, 
Bade farewell to old No-ko-mis, 
Spake in whispers, spake in this wise. 
Did not wake the guests that slum- 
bered ; 

' I am going, O No-ko-mis, - 
On a long and distant journey. 
To the portals of the Sunset, 
To the regions of the home-wind. 
But these guests I leave behind me, 
In your watch and ward I leave them ; 
See that never harm comes near them, 
See that never fear molests them, 
Never danger nor suspicion. 
Never want of food or shelter, 
In the lodge of Hiawatha!' 



The Story of Hiawatha. 127 

" Forth into the village went he, 
Bade farewell to all the warriors, 
Bade farewell to all the young men, 
Spake persuading, spake in this wise: 

'I am going, O my people, 
On a long and distant journey ; 
Many moons and many winters 
Will have come and will have van- 
ished, 
Ere I come again to see you. 
But my guests I leave behind me; 
Listen to their words of wisdom. 
Listen to the truth they tell you. 
For the Master of Life has sent them 
From the land of light and morn- 
ing!' 



128 



The Story of Hiawatha. 




"On the shore stood Hiawatha, 

Turned and waved his hand at part 
ing; 

On the clear and luminous water 

Launched his birch canoe for sailing, 

From the pebbles of the margin 

Shoved it forth into the water; 

Whispered to it, 'Westward! west- 
ward ! ' 



The Story of Hiawatha. 



129 




And with speed it darted forward. 

"And the evening sun descending 
Set the clouds on fire with redness, 
Burned the broad sky, Hke a prairie. 
Left upon the level water 
One long track and trail of splendor, 
Down whose stream as down a river, 



130 The Story of Hiawatha. 

Westward, westward Hiawatha 
Sailed into the fiery sunset. 
Sailed into the purple vapors, 
Sailed into the dusk of evening. 




"And the people from the margin 
Watched him floating, rising, sinking, 
Till the birch canoe seemed lifted 
High into that sea of splendor, 
Till it sank into the vapors 
Like the new moon slowly, slowly 
Sinking in the purple distance. 



The Story of Hiawatha. 131 

''And they said, 'Farewell forever'/ 
Said, 'Farewell, O Hiawatha!' 
And the forests, dark and lonely, 
Moved through all their depths of 

darkness, 
Sighed, 'Farewell, O Hiawatha!' 
And the waves upon the margin 
Rising, rippling on the pebbles. 
Sobbed, 'Farewell, O Hiawatha!' 
And the heron, the Shuh-shuh-gah, 
From her haunts among the fenlands 
Screamed, 'Farewell, O Hiawatha!' 

"Thus departed Hiawatha, 
Hiawatha the Beloved, 
In the glory of the sunset, 
In the purple mists of evening, 



132 The Story of Hiawatha. 

To the regions of the home-wind, 
To the Islands of the Blessed, 
To the land of the Hereafter!" 




JUV4 "7 



- 1902 



JUN "(5 1902 

1 COPY DEL. TO CAT. DIY. 
JUN. 7 1902 



